Ezra Europe Making Aliyah

Archive for the ‘Church Responsibility’ Category

It is becoming increasingly unsafe for Jews to remain in the former Soviet Union countries due to the rise of severe Anti-Semitism. Following an Ezra International sponsored concert last October in Kiev, Ukraine the Ezra staff, the attending Jewish community and the Israeli dignitaries were all shocked to see the scene that awaited them out on the street.

As far as one could see in all directions there were riot police dressed in full riot gear. Each one was dressed in black, wearing their black helmets, holding their Plexiglas shields in front of them, carrying their automatic weapons and their night sticks. Their vast numbers could be seen up and down the city street and even spilling over onto the intersecting side streets.

The most shocking thing to witness was the hundreds of neo-Nazis who had taken their positions between the concert attendees and the riot police.  The crowds were shouting, “Six million was not enough,” “We will finish what Hitler could not finish,” “Death to the Jews,” “Let’s all kill one Jew,” and many more hate filled slogans.

Fear immediately ran up and down the spines of the Ezra staff and our attending Jewish guests. We were seeing and hearing first hand the hatred for the Jewish people that is boiling over in many countries of Europe and the former Soviet Union.

One evening after a soccer game held at the Kiev stadium a riotous crowd with blood in their eyes marched through the city streets. When they arrived at the central Synagogue they stoned out every window in the building, drug the Rabbi out onto the street and stoned him.  He did survive the attack but he was severly injured.

A few weeks later arsonists set fire to a Jewish school in Kiev. They were successful in burning down a wing of the 600-student school that serves preschool through 11th grade. The brutal reality of these tragedies has ignited a holy fire in every staff member, every volunteer and the leadership of Ezra International to do even more for suffering Jewish people around the world.

Added to the dangerous levels of anti-Semitism, many nations of the former Soviet Union may soon close their borders – meaning all immigration to Israel will come to a halt and the Jewish people remaining in those countries will be in grave danger. We must understand that we are in a race against time to get these suffering Jewish people to Israel!  

Viktor Mikhaylov, who overseas all of Ezra’s work throughout the former Soviet Union countries, was recently told by a Christian friend who works at the Ukrainian Passport Office that they have been instructed to draw out the passport process as long as possible to discourage Jewish people from applying for their passports to leave for Israel. She also told Viktor that she expected the approval of passports to Jewish people and others to come to a halt very soon.  

Our dear Christian friends, the clock is ticking and the time to do what we must do to rescue, return and restore precious Jewish lives is quickly running out. What we must do we must do quickly!

During the holocaust years God was calling out to righteous Gentiles to save Jewish lives. Heroes like, Corrie ten-Boom, Oskar Schindler and many more. Today, God is still calling righteous Gentiles to save Jewish lives. Today is a different time in history but the need is the same.

Will you please respond to the same call that those earlier righteous heroes responded to? Ezra International is presently working with over 32,000 Jewish men, women and children who are waiting for their turn to flee the anti-Semitism and the stark poverty for a new life in Israel but they can not do it without your prayers and your financial help.

We are hoping that you too will become one of the modern day righteous Gentiles. Corrie ten-Boom’s family gave everything they had, even their own lives to save Jewish lives. May each of us as the Body of Christ now rise to our high calling in this desperate time of need?  

Let us not see ourselves as descendents of the Crusaders, the leaders of the Spanish Inquisition or the descendents of those who massacred six million Jews. But let us instead see ourselves as descendents of the Corrie ten-Booms, the Oskar Schindlers and the many other righteous Gentiles that God used to save hundreds of thousands of Jewish lives.

Please don’t wait.  Write the largest check possible to assist in the re-gathering of God’s chosen people to their“Promised Land.” Thank you so very much for what you are about to do on their behalf. We can’t help them withoutyou!

By Rev, Barry Wagner, Vice President Ezra International – May 4, 2009